Surgical staple buttress with integral adhesive for releasably attaching to a surgical stapler

Abstract

A surgical stapler end effector assembly comprises a staple cartridge, an anvil, and a buttress assembly. The staple cartridge comprises a plurality of staples and a deck. The staple cartridge is operable to drive the staples through the deck. The anvil is movable from an open position toward the staple cartridge to reach a closed position. The anvil includes an underside having staple forming surface configured to receive staples driven through the deck. The buttress assembly comprises a buttress body, an adhesive material, and a plurality of reinforcement strands. The reinforcement strands are configured to engage one or more staples fired through the buttress body.

We claim: 
     
       1. A surgical stapler end effector assembly, the end effector assembly comprising:
 (a) a staple cartridge, wherein the staple cartridge comprises:
 (i) a plurality of staples, and 
 (ii) a deck defining a plurality of openings, wherein the staple cartridge is operable to drive the staples through the openings of the deck; 
 
 (b) an anvil, wherein the anvil is movable from an open position toward the staple cartridge to reach a closed position, wherein the anvil includes an underside having a staple forming surface configured to receive staples driven through the deck; and 
 (c) a buttress assembly, wherein the buttress assembly comprises:
 (i) a buttress body having an exterior surface, wherein the buttress body extends along a horizontal plane and defines a length, 
 (ii) an adhesive material, wherein the adhesive material is configured to removably secure the buttress body to the deck of the staple cartridge or the underside of the anvil, 
 (iii) a first plurality of reinforcement strands woven through the buttress body in a plurality of discrete regions, 
 (iv) a second plurality of reinforcement strands disposed on the exterior surface of the buttress body and extending along the length of the buttress body, and 
 (v) a third plurality of reinforcement strands disposed on the exterior surface of the buttress body and extending transversely relative to the length of the buttress body; 
 wherein at least one of the second plurality of reinforcement strands and at least one of the third plurality of reinforcement strands intersect at a locus disposed on an imaginary axis, wherein the imaginary axis is orthogonal to the horizontal plane of the buttress body and passes through at least one of the plurality of discrete regions. 
 
 
     
     
       2. The surgical stapler end effector assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the adhesive material comprises a pressure sensitive adhesive. 
     
     
       3. The surgical stapler end effector assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the reinforcement strands comprise polyglactin 910. 
     
     
       4. The surgical stapler end effector assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the buttress body comprises a pair of portions laterally spaced apart from each other by a gap. 
     
     
       5. The surgical stapler end effector assembly of  claim 4 , wherein at least one of the third plurality of reinforcement strands extends across the gap. 
     
     
       6. The surgical stapler end effector assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the buttress assembly further comprises an intermediate layer positioned between the buttress body and the adhesive material, wherein the intermediate layer is impermeable or semi-impermeable. 
     
     
       7. The surgical stapler end effector assembly of  claim 6 , wherein at least one of the reinforcement strands is positioned on or through the intermediate layer. 
     
     
       8. The surgical stapler end effector assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the buttress assembly further comprises a film layer positioned over the adhesive material, wherein the film layer is impermeable. 
     
     
       9. The surgical stapler end effector assembly of  claim 8 , wherein the film layer is positioned over the plurality of reinforcement strands. 
     
     
       10. The surgical stapler end effector assembly of  claim 8 , wherein the film layer defines a plurality of pockets configured to contain the adhesive material in a plurality of discrete regions. 
     
     
       11. The surgical stapler end effector assembly of  claim 10 , further comprising a retainer assembly configured to releasably hold the buttress assembly, wherein the retainer assembly comprises a plurality of protrusions configured to engage the buttress assembly at locations corresponding to the discrete regions of the adhesive material. 
     
     
       12. The surgical stapler end effector of  claim 1 , wherein each staple comprises a crown and a pair of legs, wherein at least one of the reinforcement strands is configured to engage either the crown or at least one of the legs of the staples. 
     
     
       13. A surgical stapler end effector assembly, the end effector assembly comprising:
 (a) a staple cartridge, wherein the staple cartridge comprises:
 (i) a plurality of staples, and 
 (ii) a deck, wherein the staple cartridge is operable to drive the staples through the deck; 
 
 (b) an anvil, wherein the anvil is movable from an open position toward the staple cartridge to reach a closed position, wherein the anvil includes an underside having staple forming surface configured to receive staples driven through the deck; and 
 (c) a buttress assembly, wherein the buttress assembly comprises:
 (i) a buttress body comprising a pair of portions laterally spaced apart from each other by a gap, 
 (ii) an adhesive material, wherein the adhesive material is configured to removably secure the buttress body to the deck of the staple cartridge or the underside of the anvil, and 
 (iii) a first plurality of reinforcement strands woven through the buttress body in a plurality of discrete regions, 
 (iv) a second plurality of reinforcement strands disposed on an exterior surface of the buttress body and extending along a length of the buttress body, and 
 (v) a third plurality of reinforcement strands disposed on the exterior surface of the buttress body and extending transversely relative to the length of the buttress body; 
 wherein at least one of the second plurality of reinforcement strands and at least one of the third plurality of reinforcement strands intersect at a locus disposed on an imaginary axis, wherein the imaginary axis is orthogonal to a horizontal plane of the buttress body and passes through at least one of the plurality of discrete regions. 
 
 
     
     
       14. A surgical stapler end effector assembly, the end effector assembly comprising:
 (a) a staple cartridge, wherein the staple cartridge comprises:
 (i) a plurality of staples, and 
 (ii) a deck, wherein the staple cartridge is operable to drive the staples through the deck; 
 
 (b) an anvil, wherein the anvil is movable from an open position toward the staple cartridge to reach a closed position, wherein the anvil includes an underside having staple forming surface configured to receive staples driven through the deck; and 
 (c) a buttress assembly, wherein the buttress assembly comprises:
 (i) a buttress body, 
 (ii) an adhesive material, wherein the adhesive material is configured to removably secure the buttress body to the deck of the staple cartridge or the underside of the anvil, 
 (iii) an impermeable layer positioned over the buttress body, 
 (iv) an impermeable film laid over the impermeable layer, the film defining a plurality of pockets configured to contain the adhesive material in a plurality of discrete regions; and 
 (v) a first plurality of reinforcement strands woven through the buttress body in a plurality of discrete regions, 
 (vi) a second plurality of reinforcement strands disposed on an exterior surface of the buttress body and extending along a length of the buttress body, and 
 (vii) a third plurality of reinforcement strands disposed on the exterior surface of the buttress body and extending transversely relative to the length of the buttress body; 
 wherein at least one of the second plurality of reinforcement strands and at least one of the third plurality of reinforcement strands intersect at a locus disposed on an imaginary axis, wherein the imaginary axis is orthogonal to a horizontal plane of the buttress body and passes through at least one of the plurality of discrete regions. 
 
 
     
     
       15. The surgical stapler end effector assembly of  claim 14 , further comprising a retainer assembly configured to releasably hold the buttress assembly, wherein the retainer assembly comprises a plurality of protrusions configured to engage the buttress assembly at locations corresponding to the discrete regions of the adhesive material. 
     
     
       16. The surgical stapler end effector assembly of  claim 14 , wherein the reinforcement strands comprise polyglactin 910.